Originally Posted by hfly
This has been a regulation pretty much everywhere since the 1980's and is totally justified. The reason it was put in was so that mules couldn't warn eachother (i.e. the guy at counter 9 is almolst asleep, they are not manning door 4, etc.). Anyone who disagrees probably doesn't travel internationally that often, otherwise tehy would have understood this for years and would not even try it.
I hate statements like 'anyone who disagrees probably doesn't travel int'ly very much' - how condescending. I travel intl'y a lot. I have my own theories on why they're not allowed (one of which coincides w/ yours above), but give me a break.
Personally I'm in the 'screw it; nothing's that important that I need to whip out my cell phone' camp. If they're waiting for you to come out of customs, they're already at airport; not call me when you know what the customs line is like & I'll drive down to pick you up then.
BTW - given the topic, what a # of us thought was really funny a few weeks ago was - some woman comes off an int'l flight & is IN CUSTOMS & gets on the phone & gets into a REALLY LOUD SCREAMING MATCH w/ her credit card company on how she paid the bill on time, why aren't they authorizing this, yada, yada. The entire line's looking at her like a) are you nuts - why would you turn on your phone in the customs line given the rules, or even have
this conversation in front of total strangers; b) where's customs to enforce the no cell phone rule when you need them!
